This classic red-brick house is the one that Steve Martin’s character Neal owned in the 1987 John Hughes comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles. He spent most of the movie trying to get back to it in time for Thanksgiving.
The house where it was filmed is in Kenilworth, Illinois.
It’s on the market for $1.799 million, so let’s take a look back at the house and the sets they created for it!
The “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” House
John Candy played Del in the movie, who ends up traveling with Neal.
Interspersed with scenes of them being stranded in airports, sleeping in seedy motels (“those aren’t pillows!”), and watching their rental car go up in flames, we saw Neal’s wife and 3 kids back at the house, waiting for him to get home.
The house was built in 1916.
It has 6 bedrooms, 4 baths, and over 3,500 square feet.
You can see it hasn’t changed much when you see it on Streetview today.
We only get a few glimpses inside the Planes, Trains and Automobiles house.
According to IMDb, seven interior sets were built for Neal’s house.
It took them 5 months to create them and cost $100,000,
“which angered Paramount executives and caused turmoil on the set.”
If they spent all the time and money on them,
I wish they would have filmed more of the rooms for us!
The blue tile in the kitchen doesn’t seem to go with anything else in the house:
A lot of people have pointed out the similarities between the Planes, Trains and Automobiles house and the one from John Hughes’ classic comedy Home Alone, which was on the market recently, as well.
Some have even asked if they’re the same house — but as you can see below, they’re different.
As you can see by comparing it to the photo below, the Home Alone house is bigger and
lacks the third dormer the one from Planes, Trains and Automobiles has:
The listing says:
Stately, red brick center entrance Colonial home on a large lot with a beautiful backyard. Beautiful reception hall, gracious living room with fireplace, formal dining room, first-floor library, sunroom, large family room, eat-in kitchen, recreation room, 6 bedrooms and great third floor! Lots of recent updates. One block from the lake!
For photos and information about 230 Oxford Road in Kenilworth, check the listing.
Visit my Houses Onscreen page to see the other movies I’ve featured, listed A-Z.
Nice house…very neutral scheme…not really my taste though
I grew up (and my parents still live) about 3 blocks from there. I remember the filming and them waiting and waiting for it to snow but it never did (which is odd because it snows a lot there in the winter!) and they had to truck it in. The “Home Alone” house is also close to there — the next suburb north — only a couple miles away.
I love to google map these places. A lovely place to live. Don’t suppose your parents are in one of the gorgeous homes on Sheridan on the lake? The listing touts being close to the lake but is there access to the lake close by other than for those who live on it?
Oh, yes, Ann. There’s lake access about 5 blocks from there. Just there last week and house still has a for sale sign up!
I have the same observation that I had of the original Home Alone house…Im a little surprised at the quality of interior trim work. I would expect a house that age to have more substantial crown moldings, casings, and wainscoting.
But I love these classic “5 over 4 and a door” houses!
John Hughes had excellent taste in real estate! I wonder how much of my own house taste was formed from watching his movies?
I grew up not too far from the Home Alone House. My parents now live about two block from it. Kenilworth and Winnetka are two suburbs right next door to each other on the North Shore of Chicago.
I never saw the movie, but it’s a beautiful house. The center entryway and exterior are my favorites. The inside is a bit too grand for me.
I love this house and this movie! The scene where they’re driving that burnt out car never gets old to me. John Candy was so funny! I always choke up when he finally gets home and it’s Thanksgiving–so cozy and inviting. I love on movie sets how they make it looked lived in. Did someone hang that scissor and bag there where she’s on the phone? I guess every house has homey clutter. As far as the movie house goes, I love it! Traditional in it’s purest form. Thanks Julia! P.S.– I am formerly Jodi from New Jersey. I have taken a leap out of my comfort zone and started a video blog (vlog) on You Tube as Screendoorgirl3. I’m also on Pinterest @ Screendoorgirl 3. Yikes!
I’ve never seen the movie, but now I want to! 😉 LOVE the house, with the exception of the island in the kitchen. Not a fan of that. It has great bones!
Something about our home reminded me of this house when we first walked in as we were looking for a home. Ours is a white clapboard, not brick but like this house, it just felt like home to me.
Thanks for the memory.
pam
The house is lovely, but I am not fond of the way it is decorated (in particular, the window treatments). It needs more color.
I like the rug with the big flowers.
We live in a smaller red brick colonial with black shutters and white trim, and I never get tired of it. So classic and beautiful!
Great movie house! Those two were an incredible duo – miss John Candy so much! It’s wonderful to see the real house.
What a nice house. I haven’t watched this movie, but it sounds fun. I love watching John Hughes movies because he always does a great job with the sets. Also because the plots and characters are fun.
Pretty on the outside!
I love the outside shot – with its gum drop trees!
I love the exterior, I was thinking it looked like the house in uncle buck with john candy. Although I haven’t watched that movie in years.